The Rose and the Raven
by EquinoxSol
Summary: Jealousy, espionage, fighting, death, vampires, Vampaneze, business, killing, grief, and love all run rife through the Halls of Vampire Mountain in this story, with all of your favorite characters alive and well! Mr. Crepsley, Gavner, Kurda, Mika and Seba
1. Chapter 1: The Woman

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own the Saga of Darren Shan/Larten Crepsley. I'm not that lucky. All rights go to Mr. Darren Shan, I'm just a fan.

The young woman strides up the side of the mountain, completely barefoot, but _smiling_. She hasn't had such fun in years. Her medium-length hair was unkempt from weeks without a brush or bath, the weather too cold for the latter, and the former being heavy enough to leave behind. She could only carry what was most needed, which, to her clan, was next to nothing.

Her feet aching from the various cuts and scratches on her feet, she leans in the shade of a tree, looking down the small trail for anyone else who may be walking up it. That would be nice. The trek was long and hard, and a traveling companion might be nice, if not for the company, than to see what her clan was like.

It would be her first time to the fabled Vampire Mountain, her first time to meet another vampire, too. The first and last time she had met one of her kind, he had just blooded her, and was promptly killed a few minutes later, without being able to tell her anything of her new existence. So, she had sought out others like her, soon figuring out the ways of the vampires by herself.

Eventually, the young woman had found a Vampaneze. He was young like her too, and without a sire to take care of him. Neither knowing that they were supposed to be enemies, they each sat together, smiling, and sharing their stories. Finally, she had asked the slightly purple man where she might find others like herself.

He told her grand stories of Vampire Mountain that his sire had told him, and where to find it, not forgetting to include the various prerequisites to get there honorably. He told her of the Council held every twelve years, and the Festival of the Undead. Amazed, the woman had asked the Vampanze how he knew so much, and he said that his sire had once been a vampire, but deviated from the clan many hundred years ago. Taking this knowledge with her, the woman thanked him, and left, making it her goal, her quest, to find the mountain, and scale it.

It must have been one of the years between Council, as she had not seen another vampire in her trek. However, she knew that she would find one when she reached the mountain. She had to. Otherwise, her quest would have been in vain.

Again gazing longingly down the slope, she went back up the mountain, and several hours passed without delay. Soon, she found the entrance to a cave, guarded by two men. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, she hid in the shadows thrown by the tree from the full moon. The Vampaneze hadn't told her of this.

One of the guards spotted her, and he was gone, reappearing behind her, and startling her as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Who might you be?" He asked her, the hood of his cloak covering his eyes. She turned slowly.

Her eyes dancing about in the darkness, not knowing what to make of this, she told the guard her name.

It was Aradia Dilara Nolan.

End Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2: The Prince

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I in no way am saying that I own the Saga of Darren Shan/Larten Crepsley. I am not that lucky. I am simply a fan.

The guards weren't going to let her in. Said that if there was another female in the clan that they'd know about it. They also asked her that if she really was a vampire, than who was her sire? She couldn't answer, as she herself didn't know.

"But," the other guard piped up, "how would she know to come barefoot and without a jacket. Surely, no human could survive that, as well." The other one scoffed at this, but Aradia suspected that his resistance was wavering. Finally, he held out his hand, and unknowingly, Aradia took it, not getting the gesture.

Making an annoyed noise with his tongue, the guard turned her hand over in his, examining the vertical scars her sire had given her when he blooded her. Aradia made a _See? I'm not lying. _gesture with her hands.

The adamant guard said, "Anyone can replicate these." _He really doesn't want me to go inside, _thinks Aradia, as he takes a knife from a sheath at his side, resting his spear against the wall of the cave. He motioned for her to follow, as he went a little deeper into the cave, she complied, hoping that his knife wouldn't be turned on her.

Again, he took her hand, cutting a thin line from her small finger to her thumb. "Heal it." He commanded. At her blank look, he muttered, "Idiot," before saying, "You've got to spit on it. Haven't you fed before?"

She shook her head, spitting on the small wound, and watching in wonderment as it healed, leaving only a minuscule scar to commemorate its passing. It was true though. She hadn't fed yet, at least, not how she thought he meant. All the blood she had consumed was that of animals, and it still made her queasy to.

After what seemed like a while, but must have only been half a minute, the guard said, "You are obviously not a human, and you're too innocent to be a Vampaneze, so I suppose you can go inside. Better see the Princes first, though."

Aradia had heard of them! The leaders of the vampires, her Vampaneze informer had told her. However, she had no idea where she might find them, or even if she would be allowed to see them. She asked, slightly embarrassed, "Um, I don't know where they are. Can you show me?"

Exasperated, the guard said, "Look, I can't leave my post, not until dawn. Just keep heading down this hallway, and eventually you'll find them. If you see anyone else on your way there, ask them for help." He spoke quickly.

"Yeah, okay." Aradia replied, still unsure. Slowly, she turned around, glancing back occasionally to see if the guard would give her further directions. When he resumed his watch, she forced herself to stop, instead walking swifter than she had been.

She didn't pass any vampires on her way to meet the Princes, except for one. He came from an adjoining hallway, wearing all black, matching his long black hair. The vampire was striding purposefully, as if he had somewhere to be.

Aradia called after him, shouting, "Excuse me!" He hadn't seemed to notice or care about the fact that she was female, and turned his head a fraction, just enough to see her. Seeing her, he stopped, and she rushed to catch up with him.

"Um, can you help me…find the Princes? I was told by the guard to see them, but I frankly have no idea where to go…" she trailed off, looking to the side awkwardly. This was so embarrassing.

The tall man looked into her light green eyes, frowning. Off-handedly, she wondered if he did that all the time, scowled like that. It would explain the frown lines. She smiled weakly, trying to get him to at least crack a smile, even if it was just for being polite.

Finally, he spoke. "You are looking at one of them. Come with me," he sighed, as if it was such a terrible thing to lead a newcomer somewhere, "I will take you to the Hall of Princes."


	3. Chapter 3: The Fight

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I in no way am saying that I own the Saga of Darren Shan/Larten Crepsley. I am not that lucky. I am simply a fan.

Obediently, Aradia followed the Prince closely, not wanting to get lost. He was tall, easily over six feet high. She had to crane her neck to look into his dark, piercing eyes. Whenever he caught her gaze with his own, she quickly glanced away as if she had been caught doing something. The same happened when _she_ caught _him_ looking sideways at her. After a few minutes of this, she brought it up.

"Any particular reason for this?" She asked him, arching an eyebrow. "Or do you do this to all vampires? Just weird them out to see if they are really dedicated, that how you guys play this game?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "So…trying to play the cool, silent, dark type? How about the _Edward Scissorhands _look? 'Cause, guy, you're never gonna win any cosplay contests looking like that."

She persisted with such words, trying to rile him up, get him to talk to her at least. Finally, he said, "I do not know anyone by the name of Scissorhands, nor how they dress. I hope you realize that by helping you, I am giving up my time for you. Just as easily, I could leave you here to find the Hall for yourself." He scowls again, and says, "Who was your sire, where is he?" the Prince stops walking, turning to Aradia.

She shrugs, a small smile on her face. "I don't know. Not even his name and I can barely remember his face. Almost immediately after my blooding, he was killed, leaving me by myself."

At her answer, the Prince scowls again, and Aradia laughs, then says, "You know, you do that a lot. It isn't really healthy, either. Gives you wrinkles."

For some reason, perhaps stress coupled with Aradia's innocently annoying questions, the Prince snapped, swinging a flat hand out like a sword, his long fingernails coming for her face. This made her laugh, and she ducked before saying, "Not gonna work, buddy. You're going to have to be faster than that!"

One hand placed on the ground of the tunnel, she swung out a leg, tripping up the raven-like Prince. A large grin became plastered on her face, revealing straight white teeth. Righting herself as the older vampire stumbles, she sends two quick punches to his midsection. The two endure for several minutes, neither gaining the upper hand on the other. Pretty soon, a medium-sized crowd gathers, everyone wondering who this woman was, to hold her own against a Prince.

Aradia uses her slim size to her advantage, dancing around his blows, while he uses his strength to absorb all she can throw at him. In the tight quarters of the hall, both constantly find themselves against a wall, but both also break out of it quickly. After ducking another attack from the Prince, she jumps back up, catching him beneath the jaw. He responds by tripping her, and as she lands on the ground, he spits out blood. The two vampires, separated by over two hundred years in age, were _equals. _Aradia, her smile never leaving her face, and the Prince, trying to keep his ground against her, both were locked in a stalemate against the other, neither willing to back down.

The younger vampire's smile grows wider, and she says, her voice low and hardly above a whisper, "This is why I was chosen to become a vampire." She takes a breath and rushes at the Prince, catching his elbow and twisting it around to his back. "Hmm…should I break your arm? I don't know, probably would get me in a load of shit later. You're not worth it." She pushes him forwards, kicking him in the back of the knee, forcing him down.

The spectators all watch in silenced awe, amazed that Aradia had forced a Prince to his knees without breaking a sweat or a bone. And on her first day at the mountain! The Prince got to his feet again, ready to retaliate against her, but she was already striding down the hall, heading towards the area he had called the Hall of Princes.

End Chapter 3


End file.
